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For the terminal rig I like to use a running leger. This enables the bait to behave much more naturally than paternoster rigs and is far less likely to tangle. I would also say to keep the rig simple, although I do like to end the trace with a wishbone rig, which I have found to be very, very productive.
The first part of the leger is very straightforward, with a bead, link swivel or sea leg on the line, to which a weight is attached, followed by a bead, a piece of carp tubing, perhaps 10 cms long to help avoid tangles, another bead and a swivel tied to the end of the line. The trace is then 3 to 4 metres long, to enable the bait a bit of movement, with a Breakaway swivel T on the end. This will be used to make the wishbone, which you will construct by taking a second piece of trace, 1 metre long, and threading it through the swivel T. Slide on a bead, a stop, perhaps made of coiled telephone wire, and then tie on a hook. (I use size 1/0 Aberdeens.) Do the same to the other side, but add several beads before you tie on the hook. Take the plain side and use the stop to secure it much closer to the swivel T than the beaded side, then use the second stop to trap the swivel T firmly in position.
The diagram on the previous page should make the tackle clear, but the idea behind it is this. Over the years I have found that smaller plaice tend to be quicker to the bait, especially if there are beads to attract their attention. The result is that where there are numbers of smaller fish it becomes difficult to reach the bigger ones. This tackle, however, has something for everyone, so to speak. The smaller plaice go for the longer side with the beads, which leaves the bigger fish able to make a beeline for the plain side, which will have a very large bait on it.
And I do mean a large bait. I have seen many anglers put on a single worm with a strip of squid on the end, but they have tended to catch smaller fish. I do this to the beaded side, but I put on three large ragworm or lugworm and at least a six inch strip of launce (greater sandeel) on the other.
The results can be terrific! I had one drop where I had a 2 lbs 10 ozs plaice on the beaded side and a 3 lbs 12 ozs fish on the other. With 6 lbs main line and a baitcaster I then had an excellent fight to get them on board.
The use of launce is well worth a mention. Twenty years ago, if people were going to fish over marks like the Skerries, they would stop on the way out and jig traces of small, silvery, flies hard on the bottom to catch enough launce to use as bait, bumping the weight on the bottom to flush them from the sand and get their attention. Nowadays that does not often happen. People come on board with frozen squid from the fishmongers and steam straight to their intended mark, aiming to get the maximum available fishing time. Now you can appreciate their logic, but fresh launce would enable them to target much larger fish than they could with frozen squid. Since I switched to launce I have found that, on average, I tend to catch a specimen plaice at the rate of at least one every two or three trips. It does make a difference.
Handy Hint:
As well as using standard predator rigs you can also use baited spoons or smaller spoons as attractors, set up in a similar way to the wishbone rig already described. It tends to catch smaller fish than the predator rig, but it can make a difference on days when the fish are scarce, in which case it is better to catch smaller fish than no fish at all.
